Daily Mail in £100,000-plus payout over Syrian chemical weapons story – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2013 in damages, defamation, media, news, weapons by sally

“The Daily Mail has apologised and paid £110,000 in libel damages to a London defence firm it wrongly linked with an alleged chemical weapons plot in Syria.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Patrick O’Brien: Does the Lord Chancellor really exist? – UK Constitutional Law Group

“On 12 June 2003 a minor constitutional revolution began with the resignation of Lord Irvine as Lord Chancellor and the announcement of a package of reforms including the abolition of his office and the creation of a Supreme Court, later to become the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA). To commemorate the tenth anniversary of these events, the Judicial Independence Project held a private seminar on 12 June 2013 at which some of those directly involved in the changes spoke about the experience and the effects it has had on constitutional change. A note of the seminar is available here. In part the seminar brought out the drama and the comedy of the day itself. An old friendship ended in acrimony: Irvine had been the Prime Minister’s pupil master and had introduced him to his wife. At the same time the senior judiciary, at an away day with civil servants, were taken by surprise by the announcement and had to have the details explained to them whilst they huddled, increasingly angry, around a single phone in a country pub.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 26th June 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Supreme Court gives green light to school staff to bring equal pay claims – Local Government Lawyer

“The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal by a 251-strong group of female council employees and restored an Employment Tribunal decision that they could bring equal pay claims.”

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th June 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

North and others (Appellants) v Dumfries and Galloway Council (Respondent) (Scotland) – Supreme Court

North and others (Appellants) v Dumfries and Galloway Council (Respondent) (Scotland) [2013] UKSC 45 | UKSC 2011/0046 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 26th June 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

R v Brown (Appellant) (Northern Ireland) – Supreme Court

R v Brown (Appellant) (Northern Ireland) [2013] UKSC 43 | UKSC 2011/0233 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 26th June 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Abela and others (Appellants) v. Baadarani (Respondent) – Supreme Court

Posted June 27th, 2013 in appeals, documents, law reports, service, Supreme Court, time limits by sally

Abela and others (Appellants) v. Baadarani (Respondent) [2013] UKSC 44 | UKSC 2012/0023 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 26th June 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Judges look again at £2m claims exemption – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 27th, 2013 in budgets, civil procedure rules, consultations, costs, news by sally

“Exempting mandatory costs budgeting for claims in excess of £2m may be ‘unnecessary and inappropriate’, a newly established sub-group of the Civil Procedure Rule committee has suggested.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th June 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The good Samaritan doctor and the Human Tissue Act – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 27th, 2013 in blood products, coroners, doctors, human tissue, news by sally

“You would have thought the law would be entirely behind a person who intervenes to help a stranger in distress. Indeed most civil law countries impose a positive duty to rescue, which means that if a person finds someone in need of medical help, he or she must take all reasonable steps to seek medical care and render best-effort first aid. A famous example of this was the investigation into the photographers at the scene of Lady Diana’s fatal car accident: they were suspected of violation of the French law of “non-assistance à personne en danger” (deliberately failing to provide assistance to a person in danger), which can be punished by up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to 70,000 euros. But the position in common law countries like the UK and the United States is completely different: you can watch a child drown and not be held to account.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th June 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Stephen Lawrence claims: High Court ‘should approve undercover operations’ – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2013 in bills, investigatory powers, judiciary, news, police by sally

“Revelations about Stephen Lawrence’s family show police forces should be required to get High Court approval for undercover operations, campaigners say.”

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BBC News, 26th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Public less likely to trust lawyers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 27th, 2013 in consumer protection, legal profession, news by sally

“Declining public confidence in the professions continues to take its toll on lawyers, according to an annual survey commissioned by watchdog the Legal Services Consumer Panel.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th June 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Fraud, bribery and money laundering offences draft guideline – Sentencing Council

Posted June 27th, 2013 in bribery, consultations, fraud, money laundering, news, sentencing by sally

“The Sentencing Council is updating guidance for courts so that all fraud offences are covered by a consistent set of guidelines that will also deal with corporate offenders.”

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Sentencing Council, 27th June 2013

Source: http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk

US bloggers banned from entering UK – BBC News

“Two prominent US bloggers have been banned from entering the UK, the Home Office has said.”

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BBC News, 26th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Will Article 6 come to the rescue after the legal aid reforms? – UK Human Rights Blog

“The absence of legal representation for defendants to an action for debt who contended they could not speak English resulted in the High Court granting an application that the trial be adjourned for a second time. The judgment is a good example of the interaction of Article 6 ECHR (right to a fair trial) with the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR).”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th June 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Payday loans industry to face competition inquiry – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2013 in competition, consumer credit, consumer protection, inquiries, loans, news by sally

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has referred the payday lending industry to the Competition Commission because of concerns about ‘deep-rooted problems with the way competition works’.”

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BBC News, 27th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The legal education training review is finally here. And not much has changed – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2013 in barristers, legal education, legal profession, news, reports, solicitors by sally

“The highly anticipated report rightly focuses on alternative, cheaper ways to train but the test will be making non-traditional paths into law seem sexy.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisoners could be awarded thousands in compensation over right to vote – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 27th, 2013 in bills, compensation, elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“Prisoners could be in line for thousands of pounds each in backdated compensation over the government’s refusal to give them the right to vote, MPs and peers have been warned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 26th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Daily Telegraph have recently introduced a limited paywall. Users will be permitted to view 20 Daily Telegraph articles per month for free, after which they will need to pay a subscription fee to access content.

Stonemason fined over Towcester boy’s fireplace death – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2013 in accidents, fines, health & safety, negligence, news by sally

“A stonemason who fitted a fireplace at a house in Northamptonshire that toppled over and killed a four-year-old boy has been fined £7,500.”

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BBC News, 26th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Teacher struck off register over sex with pupil, 16 – The Guardian

“A woman who had sex with a 16-year-old school pupil has been struck off the teaching register by a disciplinary panel.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fraud sentences could focus on harm – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2013 in consultations, fraud, news, sentencing, victims by sally

“Sentences for some financial crimes in England and Wales could be based on the harm to victims, under new guidelines from the Sentencing Council.”

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BBC News, 27th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Juror in spy case dismissed for napping – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 27th, 2013 in juries, news by sally

“A juror was ejected from a trial involving two MI5 spies and allegations of harassment, sexual assault and violence – for falling asleep.”

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Daily Telegraph, 26th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Daily Telegraph have recently introduced a limited paywall. Users will be permitted to view 20 Daily Telegraph articles per month for free, after which they will need to pay a subscription fee to access content.